


Coming Home

by mortenavida



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Captain America: The Winter Soldier Spoilers, Gen, I have a lot of bucky feels, Movie Spoilers, Not Beta Read
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-21
Updated: 2014-04-21
Packaged: 2018-01-20 04:54:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1497415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mortenavida/pseuds/mortenavida
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the events of the failed takeover, Steve wants to track down his friend and help him remember.  He never expected Tony to be the one to help him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coming Home

"This is the second time someone's pulled you from a body of water," Tony said, taking a seat next to Steve at the cafe right outside Stark Tower. "Don't you know how to swim?"

Steve couldn't help the small smile that crept across his face. "Are you offering to teach me?"

"Only if the lesson is naked."

Trust Tony to act normal even while the world seemed to be burning around them. Steve dropped his pencil, shaking his head. "Sorry, but I don't think I can accept that offer. Maybe some other time?"

"I'll have Pepper pencil you in." Tony laced his fingers over the table and leaned in close. "What are you doing here, Cap? You know you could have come inside."

"I didn't want to stay. I've got work to do." Steve reached into his jacket and pulled out the file on Bucky. "I'm going to find him."

"Ah, right. SHIELD's 'asset.' I've seen him mentioned a few times." Tony hesitated. "I tried to contact you, but you had already gone underground."

"You found out?"

"Took all their files during Loki's invasion, remember? JARVIS does his job well."

Steve nodded, his hand rubbing over over the table. "I know this sounds weird, but--"

"Sergent Barnes was important to you, it's understandable."

Steve hesitated and then reached forward, pulling the file away from Tony's face. "you know who he's killed... Are you really okay with this?"

Tony's expression didn't change as he looked over Steve's face. After finding what he was apparently looking for, he pulled the file back toward him and went back to reading it over. "Are you willing to do what needs to be done if he doesn't re--"

"He does," Steve insisted. "He remembers who I am."

"That isn't what I asked."

Steve sat back, staring at the cracks in the sidewalk still left over from falling debris. "I don't know. I don't think I could fight him."

"Then don't ask stupid questions." Tony shut the file, putting it back on the table. "His arms specs are on Hydra's files somewhere, right?"

"Probably Zola--"

"Thanks, I'll find it and see if we can directly track that arm of his."

"Tony--"

"In the meantime, there's a bed up in that tower with your name on it." Tony leaned forward, grinning. "How about it? Care for a slumber party?"

"Just the two of us?"

"Nah, Bird Brain is there, too. Fury stuck him in the tower as a pencil pusher to recover." Tony held a hand out to him. "Come on, Cap. I'm starting a superhero collection and I'm missing the best piece."

"I thought that was your spot," Steve said, accepting the hand. "When did it become mine?"

"I was actually talking about that Falcon of yours." Tony winked, giving Steve's hand a firm shake before letting go. "I might have a room for him, too."

Steve shook his head and took the files before standing. "Sure, Stark."

"Stark was my father."

Steve laughed. "Sure, Tony," he said and followed Tony into the tower.

\---  
In the end, it had taken Tony three days to hack through enough systems to find that yes, The Winter Soldier did have a tracking device embedded into his arm. His files also indicated that he had flashbacks whenever presented with something familiar -- a place or type of food. Brooklyn was out of the question as far as if he was allowed to be around there; he had disappeared for three days after hunting down a man that lived on the same street that Bucky had grown up on.

Currently, the tracking was active and flashing two blocks down from Stark Tower ("Avengers Tower, Steve, it's changed!"). It didn't move, it didn't change, so Tony got curious.

An ear bud lodged into his ear, Steve wandered the streets of New York and listened as Tony told him everything Bucky did. All he did was follow Steve, keeping the same distance behind him the entire time. When Steve stopped, so did Bucky. When Steve turned, Bucky went to that street and turned as well.

If Steve turned to confront it, Bucky went a different direction.

"Hold on, I got it," Tony said in his ear. "I got his tracking on my phone and I'll come from behi-- shit! Steve, he ran!"

Steve stopped, frowning at nothing in particular. "This isn't working, Tony."

"We just need to--"

"No, Tony." Steve shoved his hands in his pockets and let out a sigh. "Let him go."

There was silence on the other end of the line before Tony laughed. "Oh my god, Steve. Cap, look to your left."

Steve did, and then he froze. Bucky had on a dark hoodie and a large pair of pants - both looked stolen. When Steve moved to step closer, Bucky stepped back, twitching and looking as if he would run. Steve smiled softly and held his hands to his side, trying to look as calm as possible.

After a moment, his patience won out and Bucky jerked his head back toward the building. He disappeared inside and Steve didn't hesitate before following him, pulling the ear bud out as he did so.

Bucky stopped on the roof, and that didn't surprise Steve at all. He made sure that there was still distance between them, not wanting his friend to leave, and waited. He didn't care how long he would have to wait because he didn't think he would get another chance.

"I know you," Bucky said finally. "I don't know how right now, but you're important."

"We--"

"Don't tell me." Bucky turned to look at him. "I want to know it myself."

"Will you stop running?"

Bucky shrugged, shifting on his feet. Steve hadn't seen him this nervous since he introduced him to Howard Stark. "I can't."

"From me."

"Hm." Bucky rubbed at his beard with his real hand. "Stop tracking me and I'll think about it."

"Sorry."

Bucky stepped closer to Steve. "Meet me here, every Friday, and we'll see."

Steve had barely nodded his head before Bucky ran, jumping off the edge and moving to another building. Steve let him go, a smile on his face - this was progress.

\---

It took another three months of meetings before Bucky disappeared again. Steve refused to let Tony track him and instead just went to the same rooftop every Friday, just as promised. It took another month for Bucky to show up, but it was worth the wait.

Bucky was shaven, the hoodie gone, and his hair back to how Steve remembered it. Steve wanted to hug him, but he didn't dare just yet. There was something in Bucky's eyes that made him hesitate.

"I remember," Bucky said, turning away. "What I've done, who I was... Who you were."

"Are you okay?"

Bucky didn't answer, but he did move closer to Steve. "You mentioned, last time we were here, that you had a place for me to go?"

"Yeah, the tower." Steve shoved his hands in his pockets and offered him a smile. "It's a big, ugly building in New York. You can't miss it."

"Are you sure?"

The hesitation in his voice was nothing something Steve was used to, but he nodded, stepping back and motioning for Bucky to follow. "I saved half of my floor for you. I live with Howard's son, Tony."

"Howard had a son?" Bucky frowned, and then nodded. "Yes, Stark. I... Steve, I--"

"I know. It's okay, it's in the past and it isn't your fault."

"Does he--"

"We'll get through it." Steve kept a smile on his face, hoping it would ease his friend. "Want to catch a cab or walk?"

Bucky looked over the city for a long time before taking a step forward. "Let's walk."

\---

The elevator seemed to move slower than Steve remembered, but he was pretty sure it was just Jarvis stalling - Tony had to know they were here. He sighed, leaning against the back wall, and prayed that nothing bad would happen. Or at least, no casualties were involved. The last thing he wanted was to explain the situation should that happen. As they passed the twenty-seventh floor, Steve looked over to his friend and watched as Bucky flexed the metal fingers of his hand.

"Stiff?"

Bucky jerked, not expecting to hear anything. "A little. They never fully fixed it after the Widow bite."

"Natasha's specialty." Steve pushed off the wall and stood by him. "Maybe Tony or Jarvis will look at it. See what they can do."

Bucky was silent, letting his arm fall to his side.

"Buck, I'm sure--"

"It's fine, just stiff." Bucky clenched his fist again.

"Yeah." Steve looked up at the numbers as they counted closer to the common floor of the tower. He had no doubts that, despite pushing the button for his floor, that the elevator was going there. "Hungry?"

"No." A lie, and Steve knew it, but he let it slide as Bucky continued. "Just tired. I've been running a lot lately. I've been..."

"Coming out of the ice is hard enough once, I know. Not really sure I want to know how often you were taken out."

Bucky shuddered, shifting away from Steve. "Can we not talk about this?"

"Of course, I'm sorry." Steve patted his shoulder and put distance between them. "You should get some sleep and eat when you get up."

"I thought I was supposed to mother you."

The smile that Bucky attempted was everything that Steve had wanted at that moment. He returned the smile and moved so he was slightly in front of his friend so he could stop Tony if he was waiting on the other side of the door. "We passed into a new century, so it's my turn now."

"We'll see."

They both stiffened as the door opened on a floor obviously not Steve's. They didn't see anyone, but Steve knew better than to just loiter in the elevator like a bum. He stepped out and looked around, not seeing anyone.

"Well, we can get to my floor through the stairs. Come on, we'll take that."

As soon as the elevator door closed behind Bucky, Tony showed himself. He stepped out of the hall, arms crossed and a scowl on his face. Steve stepped in front of Bucky again, tensing for a fight.

"Not here to talk to you, Rogers." Tony looked straight to Bucky. "It's him.

Bucky hunched his shoulders, trying to look as small as possible as he moved closer to the wall. "I am sorry--"

"Sorry doesn't change shit." Tony dropped his arms and clenched his fists. "And it doesn't bring people back."

Bucky shut his eyes and turned to ignore how Steve hovered around his shoulder. "I don't know why you're holding back."

"I think Cap would have a heart attack."

Bucky looked to Steve, and then at Tony. "I know you want to, and it isn't like I don't deserve it."

Tony narrowed his eyes jerked sharply, his fist going toward Bucky. Instead of hitting him, Tony instead hit the wall, cracking the plaster just slightly -- this area was still relatively new and not Hulk proof yet since he had focused on the main rooms first.

"Just because you're Cap's best friend doesn't mean you get a free pass, you asshole."

Bucky looked down between them, swallowing heavily. "I didn't ask--"

"And you better never ask for one." Tony pulled his hand back, ignoring the blood on his knuckles. "Don't you have a room to unpack and organize?"

Bucky had nothing, but he didn't dare argue. He left quickly, following Jarvis' quick instructions to the stairway door.

Steve stepped closer to Tony once the door was closed, a frown on his face. He took Tony's hand and used a napkin to wipe away the blood. "Tony--"

"Don't, Steve." Tony took his hand away. "No lectures, no thanks -- nothing."

"I just want to know why you didn't hit him."

Tony shrugged, moving to the bar to run his hand under the water. "Because he's kicking his own ass well enough. Why should any of us help him with that?"

Steve felt a smile move across his face, though he tried to hide it. "Tha--"

"Ah, no. I said none of that." Tony didn't look at Steve. "Besides, it's not like I cared for my old man." The smile on Tony's face was so fake that Steve felt as if he were stabbed. "Maybe I should be thanking your friend."

Steve watched Tony leave and then looked to the crack in the wall, his chest tight.


End file.
